Tue, 18 Jul 2017 03:25:04 +0100WeeblyThu, 18 Feb 2016 13:35:57 GMThttp://www.mindlifedynamics.com/blog/thoughts-to-actionsThe part of the brain that is responsible for making the decision to do something is the same part of the brain that performs the action. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain where decisions are made and acted upon according to studies from a university in Iowa.

“Cognitive control and value-based decision-making tasks appear to depend on different brain regions within the prefrontal cortex,” says Jan Glascher in Time magazine 2012.

The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that steers us towards the things that we want and it is also the same part that keeps us from over-indulging as well. When shopping in supermarkets, people generally go armed with a list of items that they need. On the way round the supermarket, we are bombarded with tempting items that we might just fancy. The executive decision-making process is the very thing that both helps us to stay on track and focused; it is also the very same process that prevents us from achieving too.

In an article published in Scientific American by John Pearson, Michael Platt on August 5 2008, they proposed the rationale for this is that the decision-making process is dependent on neural plasticity i.e. the brains ability to create new thought pathways. In doing so the brain ‘eavesdrops’ on all the other potential thoughts that we, at MLD, call interference. Just as a TV can produce a poor signal due to bad weather, the brain can also make a poor executive decision due to the interfering mind chatter.

If it is indeed the same part of the brain that makes the decision and compels us into action, then what stops us from doing things? Lack of motivation? Apathy? Fear?

In 1519, Spaniard Hernán Cortés coined the phrase “burn the boats” after some 600 Spaniards, approximately 16 horses and 11 boats had landed on a vast inland plateau called Mexico. This was the ultimate motivation! If Cortés and his men ever found themselves on the brink of defeat, there wasn’t an exit strategy in place to save their lives. Remarkably though, the command to burn the boats had an opposite effect on his men. Now they were left with only 2 choices — die or ensure victory.

Adopt a ‘burn the boats’ attitude during the goal setting phase so that every setback just requires a “work-around” statement. Maintain your course with the same desire and mental resilience that was felt when the goal was first conceived. Charting the course of action, estimating the potential pitfalls and arriving at the plateau of action - burn the boats! Commit to it 100% and give it everything. Remembering that failure only happens when we give up!

Let’s examine a New Year’s resolution for a moment: most of us have, at some point, proudly announced to the world that we will eat less, drink less alcohol and do more exercise. As the decision has been made with a real sense of conviction, why do so many fail? What is it in our executive decision-making process that is flawed and dooms most of us to failure within the first couple of weeks?

It has been widely speculated that as humans, we try to do too much all at once and too much change is just too much for us to handle and therefore we give up. Actually, it is much simpler than that. We need to prepare the mind before we embark on any impulsive decisions made, even if they are made with the correct intention. So that’s great! We now have the answers to all of our failures and we can change the world -right? Wrong!

Focusing on the ‘HOW’ in order to prepare the mind to act upon any executive decisions that have been made requires the mind to have conceived how it will achieve that goal. Here are a few tips:

• Start with the end in mind (Steven Covey) and work your way backwards in sequential steps until you arrive at the point of the things that you can do right now.• Create a daily agenda and act upon each small incremental step towards your goal (Darren Hardy)• Work out if the price is worth paying (John Maxwell) because, as with everything, there will be a price to pay either by your own time and energy, impact on your family or in pound notes.• 7-21 days prior to doing something new (going to the gym or starting a new mid-term paper), detox and focus your mind in preparation (Caroline Leaf).

In conclusion, most of our customers will know that we, at MindLife Dynamics live, breath and eat this philosophy every day because we know that it works! The next time that you make your mind up to do something - learn a new language or run a half marathon - turn the interference down first and prepare the mind for the intensity of change that you will have to make in order to complete the goal that you have just set.

Remember that it may have to become a life style choice if the goal is audacious enough and you are really serious!]]>Mon, 19 Oct 2015 11:01:56 GMThttp://www.mindlifedynamics.com/blog/teenagers-leaving-school-unhappy-with-lifeIn a recent article published on the BBC news website written by Hannah Richardson on the 15th October 2015, it is reported that teenagers are leaving school ‘unhappy’ with life. They believe that school doesn’t prepare them adequately for success in life and leaves them wanting in areas such as self-confidence, perseverance and resilience. The so called ‘Mind over Matter’ report interviewed 1000 students and combined previous academic findings to conclude their report. There is a sense of belief that schooling only prepares our young people for passing exams and ignores the vital life skills that would otherwise encourage a growth mindset and ultimately, their ability to succeed.

Nicky Morgan’s office has introduced a £5m ‘Character Innovation Fund’ for schools to apply for grants intended to make English Schools lead the way in the development of positive character traits. If the ethos of a growth mindset is a ‘towards’ challenge, then thinking of setbacks as an opportunity to learn something new is vital. We, and they, need a belief that intelligence and ability are not fixed. This statement is in direct contradiction to those with a fixed mindset, who have a belief that they are unlikely to achieve in the face of a setback and therefore are less likely to seek out challenges for fear of failure.

In some of the schools that we have been privileged to work with, we have witnessed first-hand the lengths that some students will go to in order to be ignored to keep their homework book ‘perfect’. They would rather rip out pages where they have made a slight mistake or where a teacher has marked out possible improvements and completely re-write the whole piece of work without a single blot. So imagine the consequences of this thought pattern during an examination when a mistake is made?

How can we, as parents, teachers and coaches, create an environment that will encourage a growth mindset? How can we provide our young people with the mind tools and techniques that will build resilience in those situations and ensure that the next generation grows positively in character?

One final thought on the happiness of our young people and their representation of happiness in particular: We need to help them to work out what their current “model of happiness” is and help them come to the understanding that happiness comes from within first and not only from external things. In the true sense of wellness, well-being can be subversive when young people base their happiness on external factors such as exam results, money, houses etc. What happens to their happiness when one of those doesn’t work out as they had hoped? It is far better to base their model on a more constant source of happiness.]]>Fri, 07 Aug 2015 22:34:40 GMThttp://www.mindlifedynamics.com/blog/education-and-nutritionHaving read an interesting article this weekend (2nd August) in the Sunday Express magazine by Rachel Carlyle, I thought I’d use it for the basis of this blog. The ‘Fast food generation’ suggests that teen diets are so unhealthy that this generation are suffering from malnutrition and goes someway to explain the current obesity epidemic. This is old news I know, however did you know that the lack of vital nutrients has a detrimental effect on learning?

“Their nutrient needs are the highest that they need to be in their life time (due to the physical and mental demands during teenage growth spurt) yet it coincides with the time that they are least likely to get them” - paediatric dietician Melissa Little (foodtalk.org.uk)

The lack of potassium, vitamin D & B, Iron, Selenium and major vitamins are sadly lacking in the everyday diet of a typical teen. Clearly the parents and the teen themselves have a big part to play in their daily choices, and so do we as role models and teachers.

It’s not the lack of knowledge that appears to be the challenge. As a parent, my teen lived for the 'here and now' with the belief that they were invincible and the challenge was getting them to make healthier choices when friends were having a Coke and a packet of crisps. Peer pressure and the need to be accepted appears to be more powerful than first anticipated, so what options do we have?

So a lack of Iron is responsible for fatigue, lack of concentration, weakness and potentially anaemia. We are not talking about those children that are unfortunate enough to live in such poverty that they cannot afford breakfast. We are talking about a generation that would rather have an extra 20 minutes in bed and grab an energy drink on the way to school by choice.

It is well documented that calcium and vitamin D are essential for the development of the skeleton (bones and muscles) especially during this, their crucial growth time; but did you know that potassium is essential during the transition from a child to an adult heart? Or that it stabilises blood pressure? Selenium (normally transferred from soil in to crops) is an important antioxidant and essential in a developing immune system and lack of it leads to thyroid malfunction which can also lead to obesity.

So when you are in front of your latest classroom full of pupils fresh from their summer break and ready to be inspired. How can you influence them to make different lifestyle choices so that they are at their very best when they are in class. Imagine for second that your class are all equally alert and engaged, ready to soak up all that amazing information that you are about to download directly in to their main frame. Wouldn’t that be just utopia?]]>Thu, 28 May 2015 12:05:34 GMThttp://www.mindlifedynamics.com/blog/mindlife-dynamics-answer-to-education-stressOnce upon a time the teaching profession was a much distinguished role that people aspired to do. Who would be a teacher or head teacher in 2015?

The Education secretary has unveiled new plans to ‘sack’ head teachers of those schools that are deemed to be ‘coasting’ just above the fail rate (Nicky Morgan - 17 May 2015, BBC News). Couple this with an increase of 200% of pupils calling the NSPCC’s ‘Childline’ for educational related counselling due to stress over examinations in 2014 (Richard Adams - 14 May 2015 The Guardian), and the scene is alarming.

This will only serve to increase the stress levels throughout our education system. As the demands increase for immediate results, the ethical stance will fall by the way-side as schools will begin to produce the results at any cost. The already stretched education system has begun to demonstrate cracks where traditional schooling is no longer a "one-size-fits-all" as reported by a FB article - Genius child banned from school for being unable to learn!

Meet Jacob Barnett on TED Talks and his unique perspective on learning.

MindLife Dynamics was created for just such a time as this. It is designed to improve the results of the school (by improving the results of the teachers and pupils) by providing a "learn to remember” process that students (and teachers) will readily grasp:• It will Increase student learning and remembering potential by up to three times• Create resilience amongst students particularly in stressful situations such as preparing for examinations • Increases attendance and thirst for further development by putting the fun back into learning• Provides confidence and vital life-skills (soft skills) in preparation for life after school• Improves the productivity of teachers by providing a more efficient way of working• Improves communication through a better understanding of the unique patterns of HOW the brain works.

Please do have the freedom to air your comments and share your view.]]>